The Vampiric Foster Ghost Child
by ninjawriter2
Summary: Jack might have been able to handle a half ghost son, but finding out Danny was now a vampire pushed him over the edge. In the aftermath of the abuse, Danny is put into foster care, where he meets a lot of interesting people. Has more plot than summary implies, please review. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Abusive start  
Jazz sat in the kitchen, worriedly stirring a mug of hot chocolate. She had long since given up sleeping. Her mind was way too crammed with nervous thoughts to allow even one moment of relaxation. She was so worried about Danny. He'd gone off to fight a ghost over two hours ago. Sure, his battles lasted awhile, but this was pushing it-even for him! It was past midnight for goodness sake, and she knew he had a huge exam tomorrow. He had, in fact, been studying for it when his ghost sense went off.  
She briefly considered going to find him, but quickly discarded the idea. If nothing was wrong and she showed up, it would irritate Danny to no end. He had probably just decided to fly around afterwards and lost track of time. That, she knew, wasn't out of the ordinary. Besides, high powered ghosts didn't really come through anymore, since Danny had gotten better at fighting. It was probably Skulker or the Box Ghost. He could handle them- couldn't he?  
Jazz took a sip of her hot chocolate, then immediately spat it back into the cup. It was stone cold. With a sigh, she dumped it down the sink and prepared to make another. This was the twelve cup she had dumped down the drain, if she was remembering correctly. As she pulled another packet out of the cupboard, she tried again to calm herself. Danny could take care of himself, he was fifteen. Tears came to her eyes at that thought. Her baby brother was growing up, and she was missing it. She didn't regret accepting a scholarship to Yale, not at all. She had learned so much and her career as a psychiatrist was progressing faster than anyone imagined. But ever since she had started classes, Danny and her had been drifting farther and farther apart. And he needed people close to him, especially since Sam was at an all girls boarding school that didn't allow electronics. Even Tucker, Danny's constant companion since kindergarten, had moved away when his father lost his job. Danny still hadn't made any new friends since then, and any psychiatrist knew that was a red flag. He still seemed like his happy, ghost fighting self, but she had noticed that he'd gotten a lot better at lying.  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a thump from upstairs. Jazz sighed with relief and started toward the stairs. She figured she'd check on him, just to be sure everything was alright.  
When she entered the room, she was shocked to find Danny already asleep. That wasn't a bad thing, really. What was bad was that he'd fallen asleep on the floor, his posterior stuck in the only way she could figure that he was this way was that he'd fallen asleep the second he came through the window. Jazz rubbed her forehead, deciding to ignore this new development in favor of helping Danny. Maybe she could get him in his bed. She walked over and gripped his arms, grunting as she attempted to lift him off the floor. When had he gotten so heavy? Then again, maybe she was just weak. She began pulling him toward the bed, wondering how she could possibly get him in the bed if dragging him was so hard. Finally, she settled for covering him with a blanket on the floor. As she left the room, she glanced back at his still form. She bit her lip. Even though he was home, something just seemed...off. Jazz shook her head, quietly closing the door as she left. She was probably overreacting, it was clear that nothing was wrong.  
As she left the room, she failed to notice two tiny wounds on his wrist, slowly pulsing with a faint green light.

-One month later-

"What is this, young man? These grades are horrible!"  
Danny faced him, trying to calm his emotions. On one hand, he wanted to yell that he had other stuff besides school. Like- oh, he didn't know, the meaningless chores Jack gave him just to feel in control? But on the other hand, he wanted to curl up in a corner and sob himself to death.  
Jack scowled. "Why do I even bother trying to talk to you? You might as well be a lump of clay. Unlike your sister, you do nothing for this family, nothing! You need to be taught a lesson."  
Danny blanched. He unconsciously rubbed his forearm. It was still bruised from Jack's hard grip the other night. Still, he had been a bit slow carrying those dishes.  
Jack lashed out at him, slapping him hard across the face. Danny stumbled back, stepping aside to avoid a precarious looking vase. The last thing Danny wanted to do was make him angrier.  
After a few more strikes, Jack finally stopped. He panted, clearly having more to say. But before he could, Maddie's voice called softly from the doorway. "Jack, honey? I made your favorite- turkey casserole. Come and get it before it gets cold."  
Jack dropped Danny to the floor and hurried to the kitchen to get some of his favorite. Maddie entered the room very quietly. "Danny? Sweetie, you can stop pretending."  
Danny slowly got up from the floor. He rolled his neck, popping it several times. His eyes fell on his mom, who had shuffled closer and put her hand on his shoulder. She looked so frail nowadays. He could see a bit of gray coming into her hair, and she walked slightly hunched over. He had grown several inches over the year, making them even in height.  
"I'll try to bring you some dinner later." She whispered. Danny just nodded, heading for the stairs.  
"And try to get your grades up. I don't like seeing Jack hit you."  
"Alright mom. Thanks." Danny called back softly. He went into his room, closing the door softly behind him. He looked around, slightly depressed by what he saw. All his posters and trinkets had been taken by Jack awhile ago, probably shoved into some spare room. He had a desk, a lamp, and a bed, but that was about it. He staggered toward the desk and took out his English book, intent on finishing his homework.  
But his thoughts simply wouldn't leave him alone. His cheek still stung where Jack had slapped him, but it didn't sting half as much as his current situation. Jack's temper was getting worse and worse. Danny had to keep his grades, the house, and attitude impeccable to keep from being hit. And mom... He didn't even know what to think about mom. She just seemed- empty. Like all her emotions and thoughts had been scooped out.  
He stood up and walked to the middle of the room. With a little effort, he pried up one of the floor boards. He reached down and pulled out a bottle. He returned to his desk after replacing the floor board, sitting down on the rickety chair next to it. He expertly popped the bottle cap off with his teeth, spitting it onto the desk. He'd gotten pretty good at it over the past month. He took a sip of the thick, red liquid and sighed. All these new urges. He could smell it in everyone, and the urge to feed was always there.  
A soft knocking came from the door. Danny set the bottle down and said, "Come in." He already knew who it was. Jack never bothered to knock.  
Maddie came in, a plate in her hands. Danny raised an eyebrow at the plates contents- or, lack thereof. "Danny, honey. How are you?" She looked at the empty plate in her hands. "Your father ate so much, he left hardly any at all for us." She said it in a joking way, but it almost seemed like she was trying too hard to be optimistic. In fact, this only confirmed Danny's thought that his mother was starting to lose it.  
"Mom. We need to talk." Danny got up and motioned for her to sit with him on the bed. Maddie, looking concerned, set the plate down and followed him.  
"This can't go on. We need to tell someone what's going on."  
"But sweetheart, nothing's going on." Maddie tried to counter, but Danny shook his head. "Mom, every day you live afraid that Jack is going to hurt you. We need to-"  
"No!" Maddie snapped, her tone turning angry. "You listen here, young man. This is just a- some sort of phase Jack is going through. He'll come around, and when he does we're going to be there for him. You will tell no one. Do I make myself clear?"  
Danny had been afraid something like this would happen. He'd been working up the courage for days. He had considered telling Jazz, but she had enough on her plate. And he couldn't contact either of his friends because Jack had taken the phones. What could he do? Maybe mom was right. Maybe it was just a phase.  
With a sigh, he answered. "Very clear."  
Maddie's anger faded and she gave him a gentle smile. "I'm glad we see eye to eye." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you doing with your...condition? I don't know much about it, but..." Maddie trailed off.  
"It's okay, mom." Danny assured her. "I have enough for now." Maddie nodded, getting up and leaving the room without another word.  
Danny slumped down, putting his head in his hands. What kind of life was he living? Could he even be considered alive anymore? He went to his desk and picked up the bottle. He sipped again, tasting it as it went down. Probably from a cow, maybe a pig, he couldn't really tell. All the livestock animals tended to taste the same. As he drank, he allowed his fangs to slide from his gums. He felt one of them with his index finger, nearly cutting it as he pressed it to the point. He was so confused. When he'd first figured out what he'd become, he had thought it would be pretty straight forward. But it turned out, he wasn't even like a normal vampire!  
Vampire. It was out in the open now. Danny had been avoiding thinking it, but he could no longer deny what was right in his face. He was a vampire. At least, he thought he was. But he could walk in sunlight, he had a reflection, and he only healed slightly faster than a normal person! What was up with that? He even had a heart beat- the one thing a vampire was never supposed to have!  
Danny sighed. He replaced the bottle cap and put the it back underneath the floorboard. He glanced at the empty plate and pile of homework on his desk, then sighed and got into bed, setting his alarm back an hour. He'd need to get up early. Again. Hopefully the turkey casserole would make Jack slightly less irritable tomorrow.

Yeah, Danny's a vampire. Don't worry, I'll explain more in later chapters. Please review. (Do I even need to say I own nothing? *Gun pressed to my head* I OWN NOTHING!)


	2. (moan)

**I need comfort. Just got wisdom teeth out. Repeat, need comfort. (And motivation to write. Lost all story progress when I-pod died.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alas, it is I! I have come to give you a new chapter in our story. Enjoy and review. Now I'm gonna go hide in my bunker in the middle of the wilderness far away from any angry mobs.**

"WAKE UP!"

The snarling voice broke into Danny's consciousness, starting him awake in in mere seconds. Those seconds were too long, and Danny was forcefully dragged from his bed by a very angry Jack.

"WHY ARE YOU STILL IN BED?! I don't put a roof over your head so you can sleep all day like a bum! Now get your lazy butt out of bed! You're late." Jack stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard it cracked.

Danny slowly pushed himself up, running his hand down his face. He glanced at the clock, still half asleep despite Jack's yelling. 8:20. Jack had been right about one thing- he was late. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled toward the door, grabbing his hoodie off the chair as he went. He was halfway down the stairs when he remembered he had to bring some blood to drink with lunch. He started to turn when a giant hand grabbed his arm.

Jack dragged Danny toward the door, his face a thundercloud. "Think you can sneak back upstairs? Get to school, boy, and get there in a hurry!"

Danny stumbled out the door, stumbling and falling on the way down. His nose slammed into the sidewalk with a crunch, sending a lance of pain through his body. He jerked up, gripping his nose in a vain attempt to stop the pain. He staggered up, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. As usual, there was no one around to witness his violent nose break. With a sigh, he trudged down the road toward the veritable abomination that was his school.

-Line break-

"Mr. Fenton, please take off your hood."

Danny let out a long breath through his nose and pulled off his hood. He hated taking his hood off. It was like his last vestige of privacy, since Jack had threatened to take his door off the hinges. And whenever took his hood off, he felt like everyone was gawking at him.

"Thank you. Now, care to tell us the capitol of Minnesota?"

Danny was really not liking Mr. Lancer today. "Uh, Saint John?"

Mr. Lancer glared at Danny. "No one likes a smart Alek, Mr. Fenton. See me after class."

Danny gulped and slouched over, feeling everyone's eyes pressing down on him. He kept his eyes down, trying not to draw attention to himself. As Mr. Lancer rambled on about the formation of the colonies, a piece of paper landed on Danny's desk. Danny stared for a moment, uncomprehending. He hadn't gotten a note from anyone since Sam and Tucker left. He cautiously unfolded it.

 _What's up? –Dash_

Danny looked over at Dash. The football star nervously glanced between him and Mr. Lancer, giving a discreet wave when the teacher turned his back. Danny scribbled a note back, tossing it over. Paulina gave them a funny look, but went back to filing her nails with a shrug.

Dash unfolded the note, his stomach tying in knots. He hadn't talked to Danny in like, three months, and he wasn't sure how the younger boy would react.

 _What do you want?_

Dash's heart sank. He had hoped that he and Danny could start over somehow. He kind of felt bad for giving the kid such a hard time.

Danny unfolded the note.

 _Just to talk._

Danny scowled to himself. Like he was going to fall for that.

The paper hit Dash in the side of the head and fell to the floor. He picked it up and read it.

 _Like I'm going to fall for that._

"Something you'd like to share, Mr. Baxter?"

Dash thought quickly, hiding the paper behind his back and saying, "Oh no, Mr. Lancer. I was just so, er, enamored by your captivating speech that I, uh, felt the need to dramatically unfold my notes."

Mr. Lancer raised an eyebrow. "I suggest a visit to the school nurse, Mr. Baxter." He turned back to the board.

Dash breathed out a sigh of relief. He got out another sheet of paper, writing down his message and throwing it onto Danny's desk.

 _Just a talk. Nasty Burger after school? I'll buy. Please?_

Danny reread the note, licking his lips. He wasn't sure, but…

Dash read the note, his fingers crossed.

 _Just a talk._

Dash smiled at Danny. Danny looked away, not sure if he'd made the right choice.

Just then, the bell rang. The room was immediately filled with noise as everyone got up and headed out.

Mr. Lancer stood by the door. "Alright everyone, just hand me your homework on the way out."

Danny's heart felt like a lead weight. He had forgotten blood _and_ his homework. He pulled his hood back on and buried his face in his arms. Why did his life have to be so awful? Mr. Lancer came over and started talking, but Danny wasn't listening.

Suddenly, he felt a zing of pain go up his arm. Oh, crap- he was getting a craving.

"Mr. Fenton? Look at me when I'm talking to you."

Danny looked up at Mr. Lancer, trying to keep his eyes unfocused. He licked his lips, trying think about something else. Mr. Lancer leaned closer, one eyebrow raised. The scent of hot blood was suddenly clear in Danny's nose, and he gripped the side of the chair, trying not to get overwhelmed.

"Mr. Fenton? You're drooling."

"Great!" Danny blurted, slurping the hanging saliva back into his mouth. "Glad we had this talk- bye!" He was out the door before Lancer was even able to process his sentence. The second he got out, he froze, another pain shooting from his healed wrist wound.

The hallway was full of people. Coppery scents filled his nostrils, and he felt a pricking sensation in his gums as his fangs began to extend. He began shoving his way through, covering his mouth with his hands. A Positive, O Negative- He had to get out of here! He could feel his pupils slitting-

Made it! Danny burst out of the door with a gasp. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. The instinctual urge to feed began to slip away as the craving ended, and his fangs sheathed themselves. He sat for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.

"Uh, excuse me."

Danny jumped and turned. There was a band geek standing right next to him.

The kid held up his phone and continued. "A guy named "Tucker Foley" wants to talk to you."

Danny hesitantly took the phone and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

Tuckers voice came from the other end. "Danny! Man, I am so happy I got ahold of you!"

"Tucker, what's going on?" Danny could hear the worry in his friends tone, and his heart thudded.

"Danny…" Tuckers voice caught. Danny held his breath, steeling himself for what he thought was next. But any barriers he had put up were shattered by Tuckers next words.

"Sam… she's been in an accident. Her van got t-boned by a school bus. It's pretty bad."


	4. Chapter 4

Danny felt like all his insides had turned to water. He stumbled back a few steps, leaning against the wall for support. The band geek looked at him with concern, but he paid no attention to him. "Wh-when? How?"

"She was on her way to an ultro-recyclo-vegetarian rally and a driver wasn't paying attention. The kids in the bus are okay, but Sam, well…"

Danny's head was spinning. He felt like his entire world had just been shattered. If anything happened to Sam, he wasn't sure he'd be able to go on. "How bad is it?"

"Well, uh, we don't know all the details, um, well, that is to say-"

"Tucker. Give it to me straight."

There was a raspy sigh from the other end. "She's in intensive care right now. Hooked on life support, all that stuff. They say she's looking better, but I haven't been allowed to see her. Family members only, you know."

Danny didn't know. He had never had any friends or family in the hospital before. "Tucker, where are you? Where is Sam?"

"We're in Seattle, man. I caught a last minute flight with my parents to be here. I don't think there's anything you can do to be here. Well, unless you want to use your, uh, _special_ abilities."

Danny winced. "Um, yeah, about that…"

"Danny, what happened?"

"Well, uh-" Danny glanced at the band geek, taking a few steps away and lowering his voice. "There was an accident, and well, I don't really have my _special_ abilities anymore."

There was a moment of awkward silence. "What do you mean you don't have them anymore?"

"Exactly that." Danny sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He really wished he'd been able to tell Tucker before now. "Look man, it's complicated. I can't really explain it over the phone."

Another pause. "Well, I expect a full explanation when we see each other again."

Danny sighed. "Right."

There was a scuffle on the other end. "By the way, why aren't you answering on your phone? I tried, like, eight times."

Danny sounded a little more rushed than he meant to when he answered. "Oh, that! I- I dropped it into the toilet and it's been finicky ever since." He paused, his heart aching. "Tucker…"

"Don't worry man. I'm not leaving the waiting room anytime soon." Another scuffle, then a muffled voice called Tuckers name. "Look man, I gotta go. My parents are back with dinner and they'll flip if they find out I hacked a phone to talk to you. I'll email you updates, okay?"

Danny figured he could sneak into gmail on the school computer. "Okay. See you later."

"See ya." The line went dead.

Danny stood for a moment, his mind feeling like a computer that couldn't process a new update. Sam was hurt, maybe even dying, and he wasn't there to support her. He felt incredibly guilty, but at the same time, he was coming to the cold realization that he might not be able to talk to his friends at all for a while. Home life- oh, who was he kidding? It wasn't his home, not anymore.

"Um, excuse me." Danny turned to the band geek. "Can I have my phone back?"

Danny realized that he was still holding the cell phone in his hand. "Oh, sorry." He quickly handed it back. The geek gave him a quirky salute, and was about to go in when he paused. "Um, are you coming? Class starts in a few minutes."

Danny was seated on the earth, his eyes vacant. "I don't think so. I think I'll just walk around."

The geek, looked at him, shock painted all over his pimply face. "You're- you're sluffing!?

Danny blinked, seeming to think for the first time. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am."

"B-but you can't sluff!"

Danny stood and looked the geek in the face. "Watch me." He pulled his dark hood over his face, shoved his hands into his pockets, and purposefully walked away from the school.

-Line break-

Dash nervously drummed his fingers on the counter, trying to calm himself down. He checked his watch again, trying not to worry. Danny was only five minutes late. Maybe he had detention.

"Your order, sir?"

Dash glanced up at the portly waiter and gave her his most winning smile. "Just a few more minutes, please."

The waiter shrugged and walked away. Dash went back to worrying about the future. Maybe Danny had gotten sick or something. After all, he hadn't shown up to class the rest of the day. Gosh, he hoped there wasn't an accident. Maybe-

"Hey."

Dash started, looking up to see Danny. After he got over his shock, he realized that Danny looked tired- even more so than usual. "Oh, hey Danny. Come on, sit down."

Danny sat down, hesitantly pulling his hood off. He seemed more focused on his hands than Dash, but Dash decided not to worry about it.

"Are you ready now?" The waiter was back.

Dash looked at Danny, but the younger boy just shrugged. Dash decided it might be better if he ordered for him. The kid didn't seem to be in any shape to do it himself. Danny sat and listened as he gave their order, not saying or doing anything. So Dash just sat and looked at Danny's hands.

Dash had never really looked at anyone else's hands before. Sure, he had seen them before, but never really observed them like he was now. Danny's hands had branched out since freshman year. His hands were actually pretty big, with slender fingers that seemed to want to be in constant motion. With a jolt, he realized he didn't actually know how strong Danny was. When he had bullied him, he had always seemed weak. But when Danny thought no one was looking, Dash had seen him do stuff that even he couldn't do.

"Finished looking?" Dash realized Danny was watching him, and he quickly focused on Danny's face. Danny held his gaze for a moment, then averted his eyes.

"Look…" Dash began drumming his fingers again, unsure of how to say it. "I know we don't have the, erm, best past, but I was kind of wondering if, uh…" Danny looked at him curiously, and Dash spewed out everything in a rush. "Look, I know I was been a real jerk to you and you probably hate my guts, but I'm not that person anymore. I've changed and so have you, so I was wondering if you wanted to be friends. Maybe not tight friends, but I really, _really_ don't want to be enemies forever." He took a breath, trying not to let nerves get the better of him. "So, what do you say?"

Danny stared for a moment, unblinking. Then he blinked once, then a second time. The waiter came and set down their food, looking at them both before leaving again. Danny reached out and picked up a fry chewing it as he continued to stare at Dash. Just when Dash felt like he would burst from awkwardness, Danny said, "I say, that I think I'd like to be your friend."

Dash blinked. "Just like that?" He blurted. He knew it probably wasn't a good idea to question the younger boy, but he wanted to be sure. "You're not gonna make me do some crazy thing to prove I'm good, or something?"

Danny swallowed his fry and leaned forward, lacing his fingers together as he spoke. "Look Dash, you might have been a jerk to me. You might have called me names, gotten me in trouble, stuffed me in trash cans." Danny met Dash's eyes. "But I don't hate you. I never hated you."

Dash didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't this. "So… we're cool?"

Danny nodded. "We're cool." He picked up another fry and frowned. "You ever think that maybe these aren't made out of potatoes?"

And just like that, the two of them were talking like best friends long met. They talked about stupid stuff, the kind of stuff you talk about when you just don't want an afternoon to end. But eventually, it did. Danny suddenly shot up. "I have to go. My dad will kill me if I'm late."

Dash stood up too, stopping Danny with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait." He fished in his pocket for a piece of paper, scribbled his number on it, and handed it to Danny. "Call me if you, ya know, wanna hang out or something."

Danny looked at the paper for a moment, then took it and slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks." He turned to leave again, but turned back and extended his hand. Dash looked at his hand, then gripped it firmly. Without warning, he let go and went for a high five. Danny automatically followed, smacking his hand with a loud clap.

Dash thought for a moment. "We should make a thing."

Danny's eyebrows came together. "A thing?"

"Yeah, ya know, a thing. Like, to symbolize our friendship." Dash felt stupid for bringing it up.

Danny gave a weary shrug. "Okay, how about this?" He high fived again, gripping Dash's hand for a moment before letting go. Then he followed up with a quick bro-hug. **(A/N: You guys know what I'm referring to- that cool hug boys do where they grip each other for a half second and slap each other's backs. Dang, I wish I could do it without being awkward.)** "How's that?"

Dash grinned so big, he felt like his face would split. "Great!" He returned Danny's bro hug and grinned even wider. "See ya, man."

Danny gave him a little wave and headed toward the door. "See ya."

-Line break-

Jack fumed, pacing the living room. He heard a whimper from downstairs but ignored it. Maddie had gotten in his way, she deserved what she got. But that boy- the boy who claimed to be his son and had the audacity to stay in his house. He was supposed to be here over a half an hour ago.

Jack stomped into the kitchen and looked about. He pulled the fridge open and pulled out a bottle of beer, gulping down a swig without a second thought. He tottered over to the knife drawer, selecting a large steak knife. When that boy got home, he was going to pay. Pay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, I have an important announcement. *Crowd anxiously leans forward* I am putting several of my stories on hiatus. *Shocked silence, followed by angry rumbling* Wait! Before you pull out the pitchforks, let me explain. I just started school again and am gonna be super busy. I need to take off some of the workload on my brain because I have to** ** _reread my own stories to get the details right!_** **For me, that's a big red flag. Plus, I'm getting pretty tired of only doing Danny Phantom. I am going to be publishing several stories for other fandom's in the near future. As for my current stories, I will split them up so you can just look at the one you're reading. (Because I'm too lazy to create a unique document for each story.) To be absolutely clear-** ** _I AM NOT GIVING UP ON ANY OF THESE STORIES*_**

 **Alone again** **: Since this is the first story I published, I feel the need to keep in going. Besides, my cliffhangers there are slightly less torturous, so my reviewers wait longer before trying to kill me. (I'm kidding. You guys have actually never rallied as an angry mob bent on my destruction. Thanks.)**

 **Justice is blind:** **This story is my most popular, so I'm going to keep in running. Also, the reviewers are the most aggressive mob-wise. *Starts stretching* What? You'd stretch too, if you were about to be chased by dozens of angry flame mobs.**

 **New:** **I love this story. It's a lot of fun to write, and I like it when I come up with an original concept that no one has thought of before. However, I am putting this one on hiatus. It's just not in my list of priorities right now. *Coughs awkwardly* Of course, this probably isn't the wisest thing to do considering the cliffhanger I left them on... *Goes back to stretching***

 **The Vampiric Foster Ghost Child** **: Wow. You guys really think I would put this on hiatus when it's dealing with** ** _abuse?_** **This story is going to continue.**

 **FEN-BOT** **: Yet another group that I left with an annoying cliffhanger. *Slips on Kevlar vest* Sorry, but I don't want to ruin this by trying to update too fast. There is enough on my brain as it is, and I know you guys like it. So, it's going on the shelf until I can finish a few of my other stories and/or get out of this gravity falls au mess that my mind has fallen into.**

 **Shady hero** **: I am dissatisfied with this story. It is undergoing a complete rewrite, which is gonna take awhile. So, in a way, this is also on hiatus.**

 **Lilac eyes** **: Have any of you even read this angsty, kind-of poetic au oneshot that I wrote? If not, review and tell me how I could have improved. (There are lots of ways. I consider this the worst thing I've ever written.)**

 **And that's the fate of all the stories you have come to love. Please review, and keep the flames to a minimum. Pretty please. *Takes off* Feel free to give chase, if it makes you feel better. YOU CAN'T CATCH ME- I'M INVINCIBLE! *Is chased by people carrying various weapons*AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, I'm back. *Coughs* Well, hopefully you like this.**

Danny had been staring at the door for over a minute now. He didn't want to go in, he didn't want to face the insane monster that had once been his father.

But where did he have to go? His friends were far away. _And have problems of their own._ He reminded himself, feeling a lump form in his throat as he remembered Sam's condition. Jazz had enough to worry about right now, and Dash- well, Dash wasn't really a friend quite yet. Danny couldn't bother him with this problem. With a defeated sigh, Danny slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

-Line break-

Dash had been working on the same math problem for fifteen minutes now. He tried to focus, but his mind kept drifting away to earlier that night. The time he'd spent with Danny had been fun and ice-breaking and all that, but something about it felt... off. The way Danny had talked, how he'd acted, how much food he had eaten. Honestly, Dash didn't know where the kid put it all. He never even seen someone eat in such a reserved way and, at the same time, manage to eat nearly everything on the table.

Dash threw down his pencil, growling in frustration. What could he do? He and Danny weren't exactly the 'bro's of all broing-ton'. Heck, the only things he knew about Danny were from one half baked outing.

"What did the pencil ever do to you?" Dash looked up to see his father, newspaper down, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

Dash looked down in embarrassment. "Sorry Dad."

"That doesn't answer my question, son. What did the pencil ever do to you?"

Dash sighed. "Nothing."

His father set his newspaper down and stood, walking over to Dash and put his hand on the boys shoulder. "Then what's bothering you, son?"

Dash took a moment to gather his thoughts. He could try to pass it off as nothing, but that wouldn't really work. His father would just ask him about it later, probably when his Mom was around. And there was no way he could ever fool his Mom. "Just… just something that happened earlier tonight."

His father pulled up a chair and sat, lacing his fingers together and looking at him expectantly. Dash sighed, seeing that there was no way to get out of this. "Well, it's one of my friends. He kind of worries me."

Dash explained the meeting as best he could, leaving out the fact that he and Danny had once been enemies. His parents were, after all, unaware of his past status as a bully. He finally finished with, "I know it seems stupid, but I feel like somethings wrong. And I don't know how to bring it up in case it's, ya know, personal. And we're not exactly close." He looked at his father, feeling stupid.

His father rubbed his chin, looking a bit at a loss. "Well son, I don't think you should ignore your instincts. But honestly, I think the best thing you can do is try and be there for him. If there is something seriously wrong and this friend considers you trustworthy, he might decide to tell you himself." He shrugged. "Honestly, your mother would have much better advice than me."

Dash gave him a slightly tight smile. "You do just fine, Dad." He scratched the back of his head. "Thanks for listening."

"No problem, son. Now, how about that math?"

-Line break-

Danny lay on the floor, listening to his father banging around in the kitchen. He could hear the clink of bottles, and he hoped that it wasn't more beer.

He was bleeding from deep cuts all over his arms, small puddles of red gathering beneath them as the sickly scent of copper filled the air. In addition, hand shaped bruises beginning to show themselves. His eyes stung with tears, and berated himself as they slid down his face. Now wasn't the time to cry, not the time for petty sadness. Danny slowly pushed himself to his feet, wiping the tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand. If this was the way things were now, then there wasn't much he could do about it.

He felt his fangs sliding out, and he knew he had to get upstairs. He hadn't drank any blood all day, and the scent of his own was arousing his natural instincts. Well, the natural instincts that he now possessed. He slowly stumbled up the stairs, his feet catching on the edges, his eyes unfocused from blood loss. He coughed into his fist, not noticing the tiny speckles of red that appeared as he did.

Danny finally managed to stumble into his room, falling down as he tried to get the board out of the floor. Finally he managed to get a bottle out, popping the lid off and spitting it onto the floor. He took a swig from it, feeling a tiny bit of tension bleed out of himself as the gnawing hunger he had felt all day was finally satisfied. He drank almost half the bottle before he was finally able to stop. He had to save it, had to make sure he had enough for the week. He didn't want to ask his mother to get more too frequently, since she had to get it from a different place every time, and Jack hardly ever let her go anywhere alone.

Mom. The thought struck him suddenly. Where was his mother? He was suddenly overcome with worry. What had Jack done to her? Was she okay? He put the bottle away and started toward the door, forced to lean against the frame by a wave of nausea. Noting that he probably shouldn't have drank that much blood so fast, Danny quietly moved down the stairs, trying not to draw any attention to himself. He couldn't hear Jack, but he couldn't be sure that he was gone. He slowly poked his head out of the stairwell, peaking into the kitchen with more than a little fear. He sighed with relief when he saw Jack splayed out on the table, apparently passed out. He sneaked past the kitchen, looking around for any sign of his mother.

Danny heard a small groan from the direction of the lab. He quickly descended the stairs, seeing Maddie in a crumpled heap on the floor. He knelt by her, drawing any first aid knowledge he could remember as he took her pulse. It was steady, and she was breathing just fine. He could see bruises covering her body, and he cautiously felt around a bit to see if he could sense any broken bones. Feeling nothing out of the ordinary and seeing no reason to leave her there, he lifted his mother onto his shoulders.

Danny sucked in a breath as she pressed down on his own bruises, and the pain tempted him to leave her there until she woke up. But he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way he was leaving her down here for an angry Jack to find.

He managed to get her up the steps, groaning as he realized that he would have to go up another set before he got to his mother's room. Then he froze as he realized his mistake, turning back toward the kitchen as his heart sank.

Jack had one eye open and was staring at him, his mouth slightly open. Danny stood stock still, his heart pounding. Fear gripped him, causing his fangs to slide out in a natural defensive reaction. The eye continued to stare, and Danny saw that it was dull and unfocused. He was still asleep, but Danny was sure that if he moved, Jack would come fully awake and he and Maddie would be in deep trouble. They continued to stare for several long seconds.

 _Go back to sleep._ Danny thought desperately, and as he did, Jack let out a snort and closed his eyes, pulling his arms underneath his head and beginning to snore.

Danny didn't dare sigh in relief, just continued toting his mother toward her room. He finally managed to get there, placing her gently on the bed and pulling the covers around her. It was kind of surreal, what he was doing. Undoubtedly, his parents had done the same for him many times before. He felt almost sick at the thought. Why had all of it changed? Why did he have to go out that night? Why had he not thought about why Vlad had fangs?

He shook his head. Too many questions, not enough answers. He left the room and crossed the hallway to his own, collapsing on his bed. He felt unbelievably tired. He fell asleep almost immediately, completely oblivious to the fact that only of few of the cuts on his arms had stopped bleeding.

 **This isn't filler! *Blushes bright red* Shut up!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: Well, that's the last of it. *Views handiwork***

 **Friend: I doubt that will hold them off for long.**

 **Me: It'll hold them off just long enough for us to run.**

 **Friend: If you fall, I'm not coming back for you.**

 **Me: *Sighs* So nice to know how loyal my friends are.**

Danny slowly pried his eyes open, groaning at his alarms high pitched squealing. It slammed into his eardrums like a physical force, making him feel like nails were being pounded into his head. He lifted his palm to ectoblast the stupid thing, but nothing happened.

"Right." He muttered, heart sinking as he remembered. No ghost powers anymore. Had to get up and shut it off like a normal person. _As if I'll ever be normal again._

Danny attempted to get up, but his arms resisted, the sheets sticking to them. Frowning, Danny tried again, pain lancing through them as he did. Gritting his teeth, he yanked them upward, managing to unstick them but falling off the bed in the process. He groaned and sat up, arms stinging like mad. He got up and staggered toward his clock, finally managing to turn the darn thing off. He looked back at the bed, trying to figure out why his arms had stuck the way they had.

Blood had soaked into the sheets, dripping down the sides and making it look like a snapshot from a horror film. He looked down at his arm to see they were covered in dried blood, fresh blood seeping slowly out of a few that he'd reopened. He felt lightheaded looking at it, and he forcefully shut his eyes, trying to block it all out.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him from any further thought. He froze in terror, knowing all too well what was coming.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy." The voice growled, breath heavy with the scent of alcohol. Without his vampire senses it would have been bad enough, but with them, Danny felt like he could get drunk just by smelling Jacks breath.

Danny slowly turned and looked at his face, not able to bring himself to look at his eyes.

"Your alarm woke me up." Jack growled.

Danny said nothing. What could he say?

Jack lashed out at him, his fist hitting Danny's eye like a freight train. Danny stumbled back, nearly falling onto the bed before a hand gripped the front of his shirt and yanked him forward.

"Don't let it happen again." Danny, barely able to see out of one eye, just nodded. The hand let go and he fell back, one hand over his eye. He heard Jacks footsteps leaving, and he sighed in relief. It hadn't been that bad this time.

He slowly sat up again, hand still held protectively over one eye. It throbbed painfully, sending little flashes of light through his head. He glanced at the clock with his one good eye, seeing that he had a half an hour. Just enough time.

Danny hopped in the shower, allowing the water to wash over his many injuries. He carefully scrubbed away the blood on his arms, trying not to reopen more of the cuts than he already had. Feeling slightly dizzy, he leaned against the wall, trying to regain his senses. He had lost a lot of blood, and that was bad as it was. How would it effect him now that he was a vampire?

H couldn't dwell on that now. Danny quickly scrubbed shampoo through his hair, finishing in less than a minute and hopping out. He slipped into the pair of slightly cleaner clothes he'd brought from his closet, glancing in the mirror. A dark purple and green bruise was already forming over his eye, and Danny sighed as he tried to think of a suitable story for how it had gotten there. Not able to think of one on the spot, he sighed and decided that he could worry about it later. He pulled his black hoodie over his head, wincing as the fabric scraped roughly along his cuts. A wave of dizziness came again, and he started to fall over before catching himself on the sink.

A soft knock at the door made him jump, his heart racing before he realized who it was. "Come in." He whispered doubting that they could hear him. Sighing, he opened the door to find exactly who he expected. "Hey mom."

"Oh sweetie!" Maddie gushed, clasping her hands together. "It's so good to see you this morning!"

"Uh huh..." Danny said cautiously, his eyes traveling over her. She seemed okay, but- "Are you alright?"

"Oh yes!" She stressed, waving her hand carelessly. "Jack had a bit of a fit the other night, but I'm alright."

"I... see." Danny's eyes focused on her neck, where purple hand shaped bruises were clearly visible.

"Oh yes." Maddie glanced around, a slightly dreamy look on her face as she continued. "He'll come around. He always does."

"Yeah..." Danny looked away. "Always."

"Anyway, I came to tell you that your going to be late if you don't hurry." She lifted his backpack with a smile. "I packed _all_ your things."

Danny didn't have to ask what she meant by 'all'. "Thanks." He said, taking his backpack, his arm nearly giving out under the strain. Okay, maybe he didn't know what she meant by 'all'.

"You better get going!" His mother said cheerily, eyes slightly too wide.

Danny licked his lips. "Um, are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course, dear! Jack would never hurt me!"

He was going to have to keep a closer eye on her. That fall had knocked any bit of sanity she may have had to Uranus. "...Right." Danny walked around her, slipping down the stairs and trying not to think of what state her mind was in.

-Line break-

Dash leaned against the wall, trying to remain casual as he searched for Danny.

"What are you looking for?" Dash almost jumped out of his skin to see the other A-listers staring at him. He coughed awkwardly, trying to be casual as he said, "Oh, just people." He paused, all of them staring, and added, "And, ya know, Danny."

Everyone looked at them strangely for a moment. Finally, Star said, "Hmmm."

They all stood awkwardly for a moment. Then Dash spotted Danny in the corner of his eye and took off, leaving his friends behind to ponder what was on their minds.

Paulina glanced up from her magazine. "Closet case?"

Kwan nodded. "Closet case."

-Line break-

Danny really hoped no one talked to him. His hood was up as far as it would go in an attempt to hide his black eye on shadow, but he doubted it would do much under intense scrutiny.

"Hey Danny!"

Crap. Other times he might have appreciated company, but now was really not the time for Dash's sudden interest in being friends. He pulled his hood farther over his head and walked slightly faster, acting like he hadn't heard anything.

"Danny? Danny, wait up!"

Danny felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he stopped with a quiet sigh. It seemed there was no getting out of it. He turned toward Dash, keeping his eyes lowered. "Hi." He mumbled, hoping to keep this conversation short.

Dash cocked his head at him. "You okay?"

"Fine." Danny grunted, turning back toward the school. He had no interest in continuing the conversation, and he really didn't feel like explaining his black eye should Dash notice it. He began walking toward the school, intending to unload at his locker, when something crazy happened. It was, in the vast extremes of the universe, not an extremely strange occurrence. But the way it happened, Danny was never fully convinced that Clockwork hadn't played a hand.

Danny ran straight into Mr. Lancer, nearly knocking the portly teacher over as he tripped over his own feet. Mr. Lancer regained his feet and turned to reprimand the boy, but stopped short at what he saw. As Danny had fallen, his sleeve had caught on the corner of a picnic table and torn, revealing his recently acquired cuts for everyone to see. People who had turned to see what the ruckus was about now stared in horror at the lacerations, not comprehending the implications of what they were seeing.

Finally, Mr. Lancer spoke. "Mr. Fenton, where-"

"It's nothing!" Danny blurted, scrambling to his feet and struggling to pull what was left of his sleeve over his arm. Tears sprang to his eyes. How could this be happening? How had it all changed so fast?

"Mr. Fenton, who gave you a black eye?"

"No one!" Danny wrapped his arms around himself. "An accident… s'my fault." His lie sounded pitiful even to himself. Everyone was looking at him- why wouldn't they stop looking at him? Whispers erupted around him, adding to his growing agitation.

"Look at that shiner-"

"Fenton cuts?"

"What's going on?"

He couldn't take it. It was too much. Danny broke out of the crowd in a run, tears streaming down his face. What was going to happen? What would Jack think? What would Jack do to him?

He ran a long time before tripping, landing face down on the sidewalk. He didn't try to get up, just curled up in a ball and tried to hold in the tsunami of emotion that had been building for the past few months.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there, his mind purposefully blank. It could have been hours or seconds. It didn't really matter.

He heard a car approaching. He couldn't bring himself to get up. What was the point? Whatever it was, it couldn't be very important compared to his current situation. Too late did he realize who it was.

Someone grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up, forcing his watery eyes upward. He stared at the monster that used to be his father, heart in his throat as Jack glared down at him.

"I got a call from the school." Jack growled. "Seems that someone ratted on me."

Danny couldn't speak if he tried.

"You've had plenty of warnings, maggot." Jack spat. "Just couldn't learn to keep your pesky little mouth shut."

Tears streamed out of Danny's eyes. "Dad…" He whimpered, realizing his mistake too late.

Jack snarled at him. "I'm not your father!" He snapped, slapping Danny across the face. "And you're no son of mine."

Danny could only stay limp as he was dragged to the van and thrown in, numb to everything.

-Line break-

Mr. Lancer, in all his years of teaching had never had a situation even remotely like this. Had he been trained for it? Of course. But training for something and being in the actual event was something else entirely.

He had already called Daniels father several times, but except for the first time, it always went straight to voicemail. The first time, Daniels father had flown into a cussing fit as soon as he mentioned the event. After an ominous, "I'll set him straight.", the line had gone dead, leaving Lancer with the only option he could think of.

"911, what is your emergency?"

-Line break-

Danny had long since stopped feeling anything. He could feel his body convulsing, feel where the blows were hitting, but no pain. It was nice to not be in pain for once. He coughed and blood choked him, making the angry shouts around him grow louder. He wished it would end. He felt so cold, so strange. He could feel his bones breaking inside. He knew that couldn't be good, but he couldn't do anything. So he just lay there and took it, hoping it would all end soon.

-Line break-

Officer Colin hated abuse. He himself had been a victim of verbal abuse all through his teen years before a friend had bailed him out. So when the call came in about a possible case, he was the first to volunteer.

As the cruiser pulled up to the house, Colin was instantly apprehensive. The house was in a rundown part of the neighborhood, with a rickety fence and patchy lawn that suggested it was uninhabited. However, a light was on, and muffled shouts could be heard even from the street.

Colin and his partners, Rick and Dennis, got out of the car and approached the door. Dennis knocked, calling, "This is police. Please open the door. We are authorized to force entry if you do not comply."

No response.

Dennis tried again. "I will repeat, this is police. We are authorized to use force if you do not open the door. This is your last warning."

After a minute of silence, Dennis backed up. He ran forward and kicked the door in, the crash echoing through the house. The dust settled and the three men entered the house, guns drawn as they searched.

A man leapt out of the shadows and charged at them, screaming like a banshee. Colin reacted and flicked out his mace, spraying the man in the face. The man stumbled back with a cry of pain, hands reaching toward his eyes. Rick pulled out his Taser and Tased the man, but the man only grunted, trying to turn around and get at the people who were hurting him. Dennis pulled out his own Taser and followed Rick's example, finally managing to knock the man unconscious.

The three men paused to catch their breath, all of them having been caught off guard by the man's appearance and attack. Finally, Colin took charge. "All right," He said, with more confidence than he felt. "Dennis, you stay on this guy and make sure he stays down. Rick, you check the basement. I'll check upstairs." All three men nodded, and Colin headed for the stairs. He ascended slowly, his heart pounding.

A ragged cough made him jump, and he cautiously followed the noise, his gun at the ready. He poked his head into the room, and what he saw made him sick.

A teen was lying in a bloody heap on the floor, face down in a puddle of blood and broken glass. The boy's thick black hair was slick with blood, his eyes closed.

Forgetting the possible danger, Colin rushed forward and knelt down, gently feeling the boy's neck for a pulse. It was there, but faint and sporadic. Colin gently rolled the boy over, setting his head on his lap as he got out his radio. "We need an ambulance." He said, his voice strained. He had a son himself, and he could easily replace the boy before him with little Sammy. His throat tightened, and he felt a flame of anger rise within himself. Who would do this to their own son? It was sick, sick and wrong. Confirmation of the ambulances arrival echoed in his ears, but all he could focus on was the young face before him.

The teen groaned and opened his eyes, revealing bright blue that looked very out of place against his bloody face. Colin looked into them, his heart in his mouth.

The boy whispered something, and Colin leaned in, trying to understand.

"Am I in hell?"

Colin gently squeezed one of the boy's large hands. "Not if I can help it." He said.

-Line break-

Danny spent over two weeks in the hospital. He got lots of visitors, lots of tears. It was hard for him to put on a brave face, and no one could really blame him.

Jazz was always there, trying to be the best sister she could. Although Danny assured her it wasn't her fault, she still felt partially responsible for what had happened. She wished she had known something was wrong before something like this occurred.

Besides her, Dash also felt partially responsible. Even though he and Danny weren't close, he felt like he should have acted on his earlier feelings and seen what was up with Danny. But, as with Jazz, Danny had insisted that it wasn't his fault.

Now Danny was finally out of the hospital. He'd gotten a new black hoodie to cover up the layers of bandages on his arms and shoulders, and his black pants and sneakers helped to bring home the image of gloom he projected. The beating Jack had given him had left him pretty much dead, with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and more bruises and lacerations that the doctor had seen in his entire career. Every day, Danny took what felt like a pound of pills for the pain.

All in all, he was lucky to be alive.

Jazz drove up in her red minivan, and Danny slid into the passenger seat with a sigh of relief. He fell asleep almost instantly, and Jazz had to smile at the image of her baby brother with drool hanging from his mouth. She drove toward their destination, the smile fading at the reality of the situation.

It had been a relatively open-and-shut case. Jack had a 60 year sentence before he was even allowed on parole. Maddie had been moved into a mental hospital, unfit to raise Danny, and her own request for guardianship had been denied. That had left only one feasible option. Foster care.

It hadn't been an easy decision for Jazz. Staying in contact would be very hard, and visiting almost impossible. But it was for the best. Even Vlad, who had fought tooth and nail to get Danny on his side, had agreed that foster care was the best option. She just wasn't sure how to tell Danny.

The drive was silent for twenty minutes, then Danny woke up with a groan. She forced a smile. "Morning, sleepy head."

Danny yawned and sat up. "Where are we?" He grumbled, looking around blearily.

"On our way to the airport." There was no reason to lie. He would figure it out in a few minutes anyway.

"Why?"

With a tight smile, Jazz gestured at a pile of papers. She held her breath as Danny rustled through them.

"Foster Care, huh?" He set the papers down. "Fruitloop find someone else to stalk."

Jazz shrugged. "I convinced him it was best." She sighed. "Besides… he gets to visit mom anytime he wants."

Danny slouched slightly. "Oh." He leaned on his elbows and stared out the window. "Where am I going?"

Jazz smiled again, slightly more genuine in her happiness. "Seattle. We're going to visit Sam."

 **Friend: Do you have a death wish!?**

 **Me: No, why?**

 **Friend: Why do you always do this to them!? It's the reason we have mobs chasing us!**

 **Me: I like cliffhangers. They're fun.**

 **Friend: YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!**

 **Me: Shhhhhh- It's the sound of forgiveness.**

 **Friend: THAT'S THE SOUND OF ANGRY WAR CHANTS!**

 **Me: Really? It's hard to tell the difference sometimes.**

 **Friend: Ugggh! Why am I even friends with you!?**

 **Me: Probably cause we're fellow adrenaline junkies.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: Woe boy, are they gonna be happy with this chapter!**

 **Friend: I don't know, are they?**

 **Me: Um, yeah! This answers pretty much all of their questions!**

 **Friend: If you say so.**

 **Me: By the way everyone, this starts directly where the last chapter left off. You might need a refresher to understand the following conversation.**

Danny turned toward her, his eyes full of concern. "Is she okay?"

Jazz couldn't suppress a giggle. "She's been demanding to be let out of the hospital for days. Gave a nurse a black eye when they tried to stop her. She only went back to bed when Tucker begged her."

Despite his current situation, Danny smiled. He could imagine Tucker on his knees, begging an irate Sam to go back to bed. It was a bit surreal. He frowned again. "Do they know about..." He pressed his face against the window, letting its coolness seep into his skin.

"About Jack?" Jazz said. "Yes, I told them."

"And?"

Jazz sighed. "They said it was unfair, that you didn't deserve it." Jazz looked at him. "Danny, they're not going to judge you for what happened."

Danny didn't respond, just turned back toward the window. Jazz continued to reassure him, but he has long since blocked her out. Why did bad things always happen to him? Had he kicked puppies in a previous life? It seemed the only feasible explanation for all the bad stuff that happened to him.

"Danny?" He snapped out of his daze and looked a Jazz. "We're here."

They went through the airport without much trouble, sitting down to wait in front of a TV broadcasting CNN.

"The tension between Northern and Southern Rhelasia continues to rise after several assassination attempts by the serial killer Chesire failed. The attacks were narrowly stopped by-"

Danny stopped listening, allowing his mind to wander. He knew he should be experiencing a plethora of emotions- guilt, anger, sadness. But he couldn't feel anything. He felt like a balloon. Observing from above, barely attached to what was really going on. He closed his eyes and put his head in his hands, not feeling like doing anything.

He felt something bump against his foot and he looked up. A small blue and red truck had bumped against him, and he looked up even farther to see a little girl on the opposite side of the walkway. How the truck managed to make it through the tangle of limbs and suitcases, Danny had no idea. Regardless, the girl looked indecisive about what she should do.

Danny picked up the car and got to his feet, navigating through the mass of people to the little girl. He handed it back to her. "Here you go." He said quietly, trying to smile but not quite managing it.

The little girl gave him a big smile. "Thanks, Mr!" The little girl reached up and hugged his legs, catching Danny by surprise. "Um, no problem." He glanced around, frowning. "Where's your- mom?" Danny was all to aware of the stress he unintentionally put on the word.

"Mommy's in the bathroom talking to Daddy." She looked at him with bright green eyes. "Where are your Mommy and Daddy?"

Danny winced, unconsciously rubbing his arm. "Um, well." The girl cocked her head and he sighed. "I don't really... _have_ parents right now." He looked away. "My families a little... broken."

He felt her hugging him again. He looked down and saw she had her face buried in his pant leg, making her words muffled when she said, "It's okay. My families broken too." Danny didn't say anything, so she continued. "Mommy and Daddy got in a big fight. Mommy told me to go to my room. I played with my dolls until Mommy called me." She squeezed tighter. "Daddy lives far away now."

"I'm sorry." Danny wished he could mean it. But at the moment, he couldn't feel anything.

She gave him a smile again. "It's okay. Mommy said that as long as we stay positive and move forward, everything works out." Danny gave her a tiny smile back. She was very cute, with a pair of braids and a lisp just subtle enough to not get annoying. She smelled pretty healthy, too. But there was something- off about her scent. He narrowed his eyes and sniffed, trying to determine what the irregularity was.

"Do you have a cold?" The girl was giving him a funny look. Danny realized that he probably looked pretty weird, randomly sniffing like a dog. "Um, yeah." He fake coughed into his sleeve. "Got a little cold." It felt wrong to lie to a child, but what else could he say? 'I'm trying to see what's wrong with you'? There was no way he was saying that.

"Danny?" He looked up to see Jazz gesturing at the clock. His eyes widened. "Look, I gotta go." He turned to leave, then stopped. "What's your name?" He asked the girl.

She smiled again, the expression making her face as light as a Christmas tree. "I'm Molly!"

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Molly. My name's Danny." He slipped his hood over his head. "I hope your family gets better."

She gave him one last hug around the legs. "I hope your family gets better too."

Danny's throat felt thick. Molly let go and he quickly walked away, trying not to think. It amazed him that such a young girl could have so much hope. Although, it made sense. She deserved a happy ending.

He shook his head. Too much thinking for one day. Just had to sleep it off, like he had in the car with Jazz.

-Line break-

Danny did not sleep through the flight. By the time he stumbled out, he was ready to kiss the probably-virus-covered airport floor.

Jazz, it seemed, had had the opposite experience. "That was one of the best plane rides I've ever been on!" She grinned at him. "How was yours?"

 _Oh, it was peachy._ Danny thought angrily. _I had to sit between two woman with nauseating body odor, the flight attendant ran out of soda, and the little kid behind me threw up every ten minutes!_

"It was okay." Danny said quietly.

Jazz, not knowing of her brothers new ability to lie, smiled even wider. "Great, let's go!"

Danny looked sadly after her. "And the inflight movie was a rerun of 'Old Yeller'." He muttered quietly, his heart like a stone as he pulled up his hood and followed Jazz.

-Line break-

The lady behind the counter was smiling too brightly, and Danny wished she'd stop. "Name and relation?" She said crisply.

Jazz, of course, was the one who answered. "Samantha Manson. Friends of the family."

"One moment please." The woman tapped for a moment. "Down the hall, take a right, through the double doors. Room 237. Please stay quiet, we have patients sleeping."

"Thank you." Jazz said pleasantly. "Come on Danny."

Danny followed her slowly, trying to figure out what to do. He'd always hated hospitals. He had always felt like they were trying to hide what was really going on with sterilizer and smiles. Only now, he could sense what they were trying to hide. He could smell blood and vomit, faintly here conversations of broken hearted people. Overlaying it all was a scent he couldn't identify. It permeated everything, subtly overlaying every other scent. It reminded Danny of wet paint, only the smell of wet paint didn't usually make him sadder than puppy in the rain.

"We're here!" Jazz announced. She gestured to the door, smiling. "Why don't you go in? I'm gonna find us some lunch." With that, she started down the hall, pausing only to give Danny an encouraging wave. Danny hesitantly waved back, slipping through the door before he had time to think about it.

As he entered the room, he relaxed slightly. The strange scent wasn't as prominent here, instead replaced with something akin to chili peppers. It set something alight inside him, and he felt more irritable than he felt was normal. Trying to shake the irritated feeling off, he looked around the room.

Sam was sitting in a hospital bed with her hands on her hips, glaring at Tucker as she ranted. "I don't have to be in this hospital! I feel fine!"

Tucker, to his credit, remained calm. "You might _think_ you're fine, but the doctor says you still need time to recover."

"Screw the doctor! I'm don't want to be here, I don't need to be here, I'm leaving!" She started to attempt to get up, but stopped when she heard Danny's voice.

"Being in a hospital isn't that bad. It gives you a chance to think."

Sam gawked at him for a moment. The chili pepper smell was rapidly fading, but Danny barely noticed. He hesitantly stepped forward, fighting the urge to pull his hood further over his head. Finally, she said, "I didn't know you'd gone goth."

Danny shrugged. They stood awkwardly for a moment before Sam motioned for him to sit next to her on the bed. He did, and Sam said, "Look, Danny I-"

He held up a hand. "Before you say anything, let me say something." He took a deep breath. He'd been preparing this little spiel for almost a week, and he didn't want to screw it up. "Jazz says you know about what went on in my family. It was real. It really happened. Maybe the media got wind of it and blew it up, I don't know. But... I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to move on with my life." He finally looked at his friends, slipping his hood off to give his words more meaning. "And don't you guys start blaming yourselves. You weren't there, there was nothing you could have done. These things just happen sometimes." His words seemed empty to him, but he put conviction behind them, hoping his friends wouldn't see how fake it was.

Sam's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "But Danny, I should've-" She made a frustrated noise and clenched her fists.

Danny looked her in the eyes, knowing that his next words might effect the rest of their lives. "Sam, it's okay. Whatever happened, nothing can change it. I'll figure a way through it. Just need time, you know?"

Sam through her arms around him, surprising him. She started to sob into his hoodie, her words muffled beyond understanding. He hesitantly hugged her, rubbing her back as she sobbed. He sent a questioning look at Tucker, but he just shook his head.

After a few minutes, Sam pulled away, wiping her eyes. She gave them each a half hearted glare. "If either of you tell anyone that I cried, I'll flay you alive."

Tucker lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "I won't say anything."

"Me neither." Danny added.

Sam took a deep breath, collecting herself. She pulled a loose strand of hair out of her face, making a small huffing noise. "Better not." She muttered.

Danny smiled a tiny bit. He hadn't realized how much he missed his friends banter. But his smile vanished at Tucker's next words.

"Look man, on the phone you said that you didn't have your ghost powers anymore." He gave Danny a concerned look. "What did you mean?"

"Yeah." Sam added. "What was that about?"

Danny looked away, dread making his throat thick. This was the conversation he had been hoping to avoid. He sighed. Like not thinking about it would make it go away.

"Danny?"

"Are the cameras off?" Danny said quietly. He heard the telltale tapping of Tucker on his PDA, then the the techno geek announced, "They are now."

Danny took a deep breath, then let it out. "I.." He gulped audibly. "I don't know where to start."

"Dude, just tell us what you meant." Tucker prompted. Sam, in a gentler tone, added, "Start from the beginning."

Danny took a beep breath once again. "Okay." He looked at them, trying to collect his thoughts. "This will be a lot simpler if I tell the whole thing in one shot, so please don't ask anything until I'm done." They both nodded, and he began to tell his story.

"It was just a regular night. I had finished up studying and was going to bed, when my ghost sense went off." He shrugged. "I thought it was just the box ghost or something. So I went outside, and it was quiet. Quieter than I've ever heard the neighborhood. It really unnerved me, and I thought about just going back in."

"It freaked you out that much?" Tucker blurted. Sam elbowed him sharply, but Danny didn't seem to notice the exchange.

"Yeah, it did. Anyways, out of this alley comes Vlad. The guy was completely wrecked, his suit ripped up and hair all over the place." Danny shuddered at the image. "I said that if he wanted to trick me, this wasn't gonna work, and he just looked at me..." Danny gulped, then continued. "He just looked at me, and when I looked at his eyes, they had slit pupils."

Tucker made a little gasping noise, Sam once again smacking him. Danny waited for them to finish, then said, "He jumped at me, and I lifted my arm to block him." Danny pulled his sleeve down and peeled away a section of bandage, just enough to show them the two healed puncture wounds in his wrist. "I..." He pulled his sleeve back down and sighed. "Things... things changed after that. Dad found out what I'd become and, well. I don't have my ghost powers anymore, but I have... other abilities."

Sam lifted a hand. "Danny?" She looked him in the face and clasped his hand to take the sting out of his next words. "What are you now?"

Danny took a shuddering breath, and unsheathed his fangs.

Sam gasped, and Tucker's jaw nearly hit the floor. Danny probably would have found their reactions funny, but he was too worried. What would they think of him?

"You're a vampire?" Tucker gawked.

Danny shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, I guess. I'm not exactly su-"

"That is so cool!" Tucker spewed, the grin on his face larger than life.

"Tucker!" Sam glared at him. "Don't be so blind. I'm sure that being a vampire is nowhere near as glamorous as you think it is."

"I'm not even sure what I am." Danny confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, I have a reflection, I go out in the sun, I even have a pulse!"

Sam gave him a smile. "Don't you worry, Danny. I happen to be a vampire expert. We'll figure out what's going on with your body."

There was a moment of silence, Sam blushing when she realized how that sounded. Tucker tried to muffle his laughter as Sam spluttered, "That-that's not what I meant!" Danny smiled, Tucker finally unable to muffle his laughter. Sam's face grew even redder. "You know what I mean!"

-Line break-

Jazz stood in line, angrily tapping her foot. Her food should have been ready by now! She had come here to get _fast_ food. This place was called 'In-and-out', for crying out loud. She snorted. That's what she got for not checking before hand.

The other customers seemed equally disgruntled. Angry snorts and shoe tapping were the constant backdrop of the restaurant as dozens of customers waited for meals that would likely be a long time coming.

Finally, Jazz couldn't take it anymore. She pushed her way through the crowd to the counter, ignoring the insults and mumbled curses she received in return. Addressing the woman at the counter, Jazz tried her best to stay polite while still getting her point across. "Excuse me, is something wrong with your equipment? You're taking a little while."

The woman, 'Jenna' according to the name tag, looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Our grill is just having a bit of trouble, miss. We having someone working on it." As she spoke, Jazz heard a metallic clang. It was followed immediately by a muffled curse.

Jazz raised an eyebrow, her mouth pinched in a firm line. "Mind if I take a look?"

The woman looked ready to protest, but then they heard the telltale 'fwoom' of a fire starting. She scampered to the back, leaving Jazz standing there. After a moment of consideration, Jazz vaulted over the counter and followed her back.

-Line break-

"I have a theory."

Danny looked at Tucker, arching an eyebrow at the statement. "That was fast."

Tucker shrugged. "I think fast. I'll need you to answer a few questions to confirm it."

Now it was Danny who shrugged. "Ask away."

"What happened right after Vlad bit you?"

Danny thought back. "Vlad ran off after he bit me. I started to chase him, but then everything started hurting, like I had acid instead of blood. It was almost like the ghost portal incident, but it stung more." He scratched the back of his neck. "I blacked out for awhile after that."

Tucker was nodding, his lips pursed. "Yes, I think this confirms my theory."

Danny scrunched his eyebrows. "You only asked one question."

Tucker shrugged. "Eh, it was all I needed." He straightened his shirt and stood up straight. He took a deep breath and shared his theory.

"I believe that the Vampire-turning venom, when it entered your bloodstream, had a chemical reaction with the ectoplasm in your blood. This is why you were in so much pain. While you were unconscious, the two chemicals were duking it out inside you, fighting for dominance." Tucker shrugged. "Seems the vampire won. Because of this, you are more or less half vampire now."

Danny blinked at Tuck, then shook his head in admiration. "That is so incredibly simple and yet so super complicated." He sighed. "And it makes perfect sense."

Sam patted him on the back. "Come on Danny. Being part vampire can't be all bad."

Danny sighed again. "Yeah, it's not _all_ bad." He let out a frustrated groan. "I just wish I knew what all these weird smells were!"

Sam gave him a confused look. "Smells? What smells?"

"I have a theory." Tucker said helpfully.

"I haven't even described the scents yet." Danny protested. "You can't possibly have a theory!"

Instead of answering, Tucker turned to Sam with a straight face. "Sam, I'm the one who set fire to your bed last summer. Danny just took a blow for me."

In an instant, the chili peppers were back. "You mean I yelled at Danny for nothing!? What the heck Tucker!?"

Tucker looked at Danny. "What do you smell?"

"Chili peppers!" Danny gasped, desperately plugging his nose. His eyes were beginning to water.

The scent faded, and Sam gave them both a confused look. "What just happened?"

"Danny can smell emotion." Tucker said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It makes sense, since I'm guessing he can smell blood."

Sam nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. Then she glared suspiciously at Tucker. "So, it was you who set fire to my mattress."

Tucker paled. "Um..."

Luckily for Tucker, Jazz chose that moment to enter the room. Her arms were covered in fry oil, and her hair French fries and several condiments. "I hope you guys are hungry." Jazz said. She took off an outer jacket to reveal two fast food bags. "I had to sneak in here."

"What happened?" Danny asked, caught completely off guard by her appearance.

She waved a dismissive hand. "Had a bit of a hard time getting the food. Nothing to worry about."

Danny hesitantly shrugged. "If you say so." He could smell the food from across the room, and his stomach grumbled.

Jazz smirked at him. "I'm coming." She walked over and pulled up a chair. Seeing Sam's face, she said, "Don't worry, I got you a salad."

Sam smiled, pleased that Jazz had thought of her. As the group are, they exchanged small talk, happy to be with each other for the first time in months. After awhile, they lapsed into comfortable silence, content to be in each other's company.

 **Friend: Well, that dialogue was pretentious and boring.**

 **Me: I tried, okay!?**

 **Friend: And what was up with that girl at the airport? Did you just want a random cute moment?**

 **Me: Be nice to Molly! She's important to the story!**

 **Friend: Are you going yo explain what happened to Jazz after she leapt the counter?**

 **Me: Nope. That's for the readers to interpret.**

 **Friend: Fine. So, are you gonna tell them what your plans for the stories universe?**

 **Me: I'll tell them next time.**

 **Friend: Whatever. How are we doing with reinforcements?**

 **Me: Aang and Zuko don't know who I am or how I'm contacting them, Dipper is saving his own universe, Fluttershy and the gang are pacifists, Danny froze me and told me to quit stalking him, and Chuck Norris isn't returning my calls. Any more questions before I despair over our situation?**

 **Friend: Yeah. Why haven't I killed you yet?**

 **Me: Because I give you cake.**

 **Friend: Good point.**


	9. Chapter 9

Danny opened his eyes, slightly confused before he remembered where he was. He sat up slowly and glanced around, taking in the cheap motel that he and Jazz were staying in. He looked at Jazz in the next bed, snoring lightly in a mountain of collage texts. She'd obviously fallen asleep while studying.

Danny felt guilt twinge in his stomach, thinking about what it must be like for her. Having to skip out on classes and pick him up, taking him to see Sam even though she clearly didn't have the money for it. How much harder was he making it for her?

He heard a faint chiming, and he glanced at where Jazz's computer lay. He quietly slipped out of bed and picked it up, tip toeing into the bathroom and flipping it open. He recognized the symbol in the corner, and with a few clicks, his friends faces appeared on screen. "Hi guys."

Sam smiled. "Hey Danny, glad you answered! We-"

Tucker interrupted, too excited to notice the death glare Sam gave him. "My theory was correct!"

"I'm half vampire?"

"Yep!"

Danny frowned. "I thought the blood sample I gave you would take days to test."

Tucker grinned. "Well, it _would._ But thanks to Lilly, I was able to do it in a matter of hours."

"Lilly is Tucker's newest machine." Sam explained.

Tucker looked aghast. "Lilly's not just a machine!" He ran backwards several steps, laying a comforting hand on a machine Danny hadn't noticed before. "Don't be upset, Sam's just jealous."

"Why do you have that?" Danny asked, eyes not leaving the analyzer.

Tucker grinned. "I bought Lilly off the web. I saw her, and I just couldn't resist."

"Yeah, but _why?_ "

Tucker's smile faded a little. "Do I need a reason?"

Danny shrugged. "I guess not."

Tucker sent Sam a triumphant smile. "See? I told you he'd take my side."

Sam rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Danny's eyebrows scrunched slightly. It seemed unlike her to be so accepting of Tucker's teasing. Maybe she was just in a good mood. Deciding to get back on topic, he said, "So, what does being half vampire mean exactly?"

Sam reached off screen and pulled a thick purple book into frame. "This should tell us."

Tucker looked up from creepily petting the analyzer. "And that is what exactly?"

Sam smirked at him. "It's a book I'm sure you've never heard of. And before you ask, yes, I'm sure that the information is sound."

Tucker humphed at her. "Oh yeah? Who wrote it?"

"Kent Nelson."

Tucker's face blanked, and Sam grinned. "See, I spend my money on-"

They both waited, but Sam's face remained frozen. Then her image disappeared altogether. "User left you channel." A robotic voice chirped, and Danny desperately pressed the mute button in an attempt to keep it quiet. Realizing he'd failed, he listened intently for his sisters footsteps, but he heard nothing. The computer gave a ding, and he quickly turned the sound back on.

Sam was scowling at the screen, the book open on her lap. "Sorry about that guys, the internet here is garbage." She started flipping through the book, violet eyes flicking from page to page. "Let's see, magicians, gouls, werewolves- here it is." She started to read aloud. "Vampires. Known for their speed, strength and cunning, vampires have existed since the early eighteenth century. Little is known about vampire origins, the only fact being that the first was sighted in Scotland. Since then, there have been numerous cases of vampires attacking humans. Although they may seem aggressive, vampires will rarely attack humans unless they are provoked or extremely hungry. The best way to avoid a starving vampire is to remain indoors during the night, especially in wooded areas. Because of their-"

"Um, Sam?" Sam looked up, seeing Danny giving her an apologetic look. "This is interesting and everything, but can we please find the section about half vampires?"

Sam's face reddened slightly. "Right, sorry." She flipped several more pages. "Here we go. What do we need to know?"

Danny felt a tiny flame if frustration light inside him, but he shoved it away. "How is this going to effect my life?"

Sam scanned the page for almost a minute, her expression unreadable. Finally, she looked up. "Apparently, you don't need to feed as often as a normal vampire, and you don't have an extreme craving for human blood. Unfortunately, that means when you get really hungry, you'll immediately start craving human blood."

"Well, I'll just never get hungry, I guess." Danny was not pleased with this new information.

"Yeah, about that." Tucker interjected. "How did you get blood when you were in the hospital?"

Danny paled slightly, an amazing feat considering his complexion. "Well... I sort of... got good at catching birds outside my window..." He looked away, not wanting to go into detail. Luckily, Sam jumped back in.

"So, you should be okay in finding blood." Danny nodded, and she glanced back at the book. "Well, you won't light on fire when in contact with the sun, although it says that normal sunscreen won't work for you, so you still need to stay out of the sun." She scanned for a moment, then added, "And because of your enhanced senses, you have to be careful where you go and what people you interact with. And just where you are in general."

"So..." Tucker said thoughtfully, "He has to become a recluse for his own safety?"

Sam glared at him. "If we weren't video chatting, I would hit you right now."

"No, it's fine." Danny said, although he felt a distinct punching sensation in his gut. "Look guys, I gotta go. Jazz is waking up." He clicked out before his friends could respond.

Danny shut the computer, eyes dull. He'd thought talking to his friends would help, but now? Now he didn't know how to feel.

-Line break-

Sam glared at Tucker but he didn't notice. He was frowning, deep in thought. "Do... do you think we should tell him?"

Sam sobered immediately. She bit her lip in uncertainty. "I don't know, Tucker. I don't want to burden him with this. He's been through a lot."

Tucker shrugged. "Wouldn't it be better to tell him now? Just get it over with?" He made a vague throwing gesture, trying to look like he was throwing a cat out of a bag and only half succeeding.

Sam was to uncertain to rebuke him for his uncaring manner toward imaginary cats. "No, I don't think so."

"Sam..." Tucker said. Sam looked at the camera, praying that the crappy hospital wifi would break their connection. Sadly, it didn't.

Tucker looked straight at the camera, hoping to get through to her. "Sam, this is probably the last time we'll see him-"

"Don't say that!" Sam snapped, allowing her anger to overcome the growing uncertainty in her heart.

Tucker held up a hand to silence her. "Sam, I don't like it either! Heck, I wish I wasn't smart enough to be thinking like this! But if we don't tell him now, it could be years before we have the chance."

"How do you know!?" Sam snarled. "He could hop on a plane and visit us any time he wants! What's stopping him?"

"Money, for one thing." Tucker interjected. "Not everyone is rolling in green like you are." Sam opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before she could. "And he's going into foster care. He's going to be moved around constantly. It'll be hard enough for him to adjust as it is!"

Sam opened and closed her mouth several times. Finally she managed to bluster, "Well, then my family will adopt him!"

"Sam, your parents hate Danny! He wouldn't feel welcome in your house!"

"I could change their minds!"

"SAM!" Tucker shouted, losing his cool. "Will you just listen for one second!?" Sam was silent, and he said, "We have to tell him."

Sam stubbornly stuck out her bottom lip, then sighed. "I guess your right. Can you link him back up?"

Tucker nodded and gave a sad smile, embarrassed that he'd lost his temper. He began to tap on his laptop, but stopped, frowning.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

Tucker looked up at her, face laced with worry. "His account's been deleted."

"What!? Why?"

Tucker shock his head. "I don't know. What I do know is that we've now lost our one way of communicating with him."

Sam paled slightly. "What does that mean?"

"It means Danny's going to find out for himself, in his own time."

"Oh no..." Sam whispered.

Tucker nodded somberly. "Oh no is right."

-Line break-

They were leaving today. At noon, to be exact. Danny knew he shouldn't have been surprised, and yet he was. Now they were in a Nasty Burger, the only one in Seattle as it happened. Danny was guessing she's taken him here to try and soften the blow of travel. It might have worked in other circumstances, but right now he would have preferred to just leave and get it over with. And how has he never noticed how nauseating the nasty sauce smelled? At least Jazz had gotten him his favorite.

"So Danny, when were you going to tell me you were a vampire?"

Danny almost snorted his burger up his nose. "Wha- what!? How-"

Jazz laughed. "I was eavesdropping outside the door. Don't worry bro-bro, I still love you."

I still love you. Such a simple statement. And yet Danny felt as though a planet had been lifted from his shoulders. He gave her a weak smile.

Just then, their slightly plump waiter came by. "How's everything?" She said it pleasantly, but Danny could smell her fatigue.

"Everything's great, thanks." Jazz said with a smile. She glanced at her watch and said, "Can we get some boxes?" The waiter nodded and left, once again leaving them alone.

"So... you really don't mind that I'm... this way?" Danny asked hesitantly. Gosh, that sounded so stupid when he said it aloud.

Jazz grinned again, putting a hand on his arm. "Danny, I will always love you."

"Will that be all for you?" Their waiter was back, stress emanating from her in waves. Danny unconsciously sniffed, trying to do it without drawing attention.

"Yes, thank you." Jazz boxed her unfinished lunch, glancing at her watch. Her eyes widened. "Come on Danny, we're gonna miss it!" She sped toward the door.

Danny got up slowly and followed her. Without thinking, he turned back to the waitress and said, "Take a week off. You deserve it." Then he left.

-Line break-

Danny sat with his eyes closed, hood up so it shaded his eyes. To anyone else on the plane, he looked asleep. But Danny's mind was too full of thoughts to even consider sleep. He was having second thoughts about deleting his account. Yes, he wanted to be alone, but had he been too drastic? No, he had done what was necessary. They were probably glad he was gone.

A tiny voice in his head told him that wasn't true, but it was lost in the cacophony of distractions that plagued him. He fiddled with the edge of on of his bandages, face blank and ears deaf to the world. Was there anyone who cared about him?

This time, the little voice managed to break through the fog of numbness in his mind, and he remembered how Jazz has fussed over him at the airport. She had insisted on checking his bags for him, despite having checked them earlier at the motel. Danny felt a small smile touch his mouth. If nothing else came from all this, at least he'd been able to spend time with his sister.

"Sir? Sir, are you alright?"

Danny became aware of the voice. He looked up into the face of a concerned flight attendant. "Um, what?" He said awkwardly.

"I asked if you were alright." She repeated, looking concerned. "You haven't moved in almost half an hour."

Danny squirmed. "Yes." He said quietly. "I'm fine."

The women nodded, obviously relieved that nothing was wrong. "Alright then, enjoy your flight." She walked away, leaving Danny even more dejected than before. Danny shut his eyes, once again trying to sleep.

 **Friend: CAUSE THIS IS FILLER, FILLER NIGHT!**

 **Me: I know. I just needed to set up a few more things. I promise I'll get to the meaty stuff next chapter.**

 **Friend: *keeps singing***

 **Me: *sighs* Anyway, regarding this stories universe. I was thinking about it, and I realized that Young Justice didn't really have the tone I wanted. So I'm changing the universe to spectacular spiderman. Don't worry, he'll still spend some time in young Justice, it just won't be the main focus.**

 **Friend: That's lazy and-**

 **Me: *falls asleep***

 **Friend: I told you not to stay up till 3:30 am.**


End file.
